Following months of negotiations, the Indian Ministry of Defense is set to sign a US$11 billion contract with French aviation company Dassault within a month, for the procurement of 126 Rafale Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). The delivery of the first 36 French aircraft will commence in 2017 with follow-on aircraft planned for assembly in India. During the months of negotiations rumors said the deal could collapse due to disagreement on costs and terms, leading to the selection of EADS’s Eurofighter, the second lowest bidder, by default.
